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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28377078">just a little too late...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyones_favorite_idiot/pseuds/everyones_favorite_idiot'>everyones_favorite_idiot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>BanG Dream Rarepair Weekend [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Afterglow, Afterglow-centric (BanG Dream!), Angst, BanG Dream Rarepair Weekend, Bisexual, F/F, Fluff, Heartbreak, LGBT, Lesbian, Pastel Palettes - Freeform, Pastel Palettes-centric (BanG Dream!), Rarepair, Secret Crush, Unrequited Love, i hope nobody cries i dont know how to wash out tearstains, lol no its not that sad actually, no confessing feelings, sad hina, this story may make you upsetty spaghetti, to those of you in rarepair hell: take this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:21:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>877</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28377078</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyones_favorite_idiot/pseuds/everyones_favorite_idiot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>And the one thing she wanted desperately…<br/>more than anything in the world…<br/>was hovering just out of her reach…</p><p>or</p><p>Hina has a secret crush on Ran.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aoba Moca/Mitake Ran, Hikawa Hina/Mitake Ran</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>BanG Dream Rarepair Weekend [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2078337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>just a little too late...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi there! Let me take a moment to explain how this works! I'm doing randomly generated bandori ships, in which I take two numbers from a list of characters they're assigned to and smash the characters together repeatedly. This is actually the second pairing I've done, the first one is too short so I'm not posting it, and this one was numbers 6 and 12, Ran and Hina.<br/>There will be more, I swear. And since I'm on Christmas break, they won't all be posted on the weekend. Lucky you :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was something about the dark-haired girl at CiRCLE that intrigued Hina substantially.</p><p>Maybe it was the fire in her eyes, the spark of determination.</p><p>Perhaps the way she portrayed herself to others as such a cold person, yet Hina had seen otherwise. </p><p>Her friends adored her, looked up to her. She was a leader to them, yet she was also a friend.</p><p>How she did it, Hina didn’t know.</p><p>And her songs… the lyrics were written to invoke such emotion and feeling. Hina didn’t understand how Ran did it all. Hina had, after all, never had that much of a way with words. She was too blunt, too direct for song-writing.</p><p>Hina had never wanted to walk up to someone and just… kiss them before.</p><p>So why, exactly, did Ran make her feel that way?</p><p>Hina wished, she really wished, that she knew.</p><p>Hina spent many hours figuring out Ran’s schedule, studying her from afar, and never quite knowing how to interact with her. </p><p>Sure, Hina talked to Ran, but why was she always so scared of messing it up? She was Hina, she didn't shy away from a challenge! But Ran was different. Ran was, as she put it, <em> Ran</em>tastic.</p><p>And so, Hina resolved, she wouldn’t say anything.</p><p>Ran’s smile pleased her greatly, the way she looked and the way she walked was fascinating, the way her eyes lit up after a good performance inspired Hina to do better.</p><p>Yet Hina’s new muse would remain her little secret. She was perfectly content with watching from afar.</p><p> </p><p>The fast food place was where Aya, Hina and Maya often went when planning a live show. Aya picked the set list, Hina decorated, and Maya was in charge of sound and lighting. </p><p>On this particular occasion, Hina found herself rather isolated from the conversation. Aya and Maya were in the middle of a heated discussion about whether or not to play “Pep Meets Step”, one of their more popular originals.</p><p>“We have to play it!” Aya argued. “It’s one of our most popular songs!”</p><p>“But that song wouldn’t sound great with the speakers at the venue,” Maya explained, “So maybe it would be better to leave it out.”</p><p>“I think we should start with ‘Unite! From A to Z’ then. It’s a fun one, and perfect to get the crowd in the mood.”</p><p>“I agree… and then we could transfer straight into…”</p><p>Hina had lost interest. She only had eyes for Ran, seated just across the room.</p><p>Ran and Moca were sitting across from each other at a table, staring into each others’ eyes and chatting cheerfully. Ran looked content, her eyes shining a bit and a small smile on her face.</p><p>Ran and Moca, Hina had noticed, were always close. What it was, Hina didn’t know, maybe the pair of them just connected on another level.</p><p>Maya had begun talking about the laser lights at the venue and flashing colors during their opening. “We have to get the timing right, though, otherwise it isn’t worth it,” she was saying.</p><p>“I’ll be right back,” Hina murmured, standing up.</p><p>Hina, feeling light on her feet, bounded over to Ran.</p><p>“Ran-chan! It’s so funny to see you here!”</p><p>“Hina… hi…” Ran mumbled.</p><p>“What’re you doing here?”</p><p>“Moca wanted some buns after practice today.” Ran shrugged. “And you?”</p><p>“Planning an upcoming show with Aya and Maya. I just decorate, it gets pretty boring to be here.”</p><p>Ran nodded. “Planning gigs with Afterglow is always fun. We all get together and sort of… blurt out ideas until we string something together, I guess.”</p><p>“Yeah… you guys are lucky to be so close. Sometimes Pastel*Palettes gets awkward. We didn’t really know each other all that well for <em> the longest </em> time, and I don't think they even <em> liked </em>me! I was too blunt, haha!”</p><p>Ran thought to herself for a moment. “Well, I think you’re fun to be around. But I’d better go. It’s getting late.”</p><p>Hina glanced over at Moca. She hadn’t looked at the other girl at all that day, but was surprised to see a look of irritation on Moca’s face. Moca, the impartial, calm girl, usually too lazy or too peaceful to get irritated with anything, looked substantially annoyed by this interaction.</p><p>Hina wondered what that was about.</p><p>“Bye, Ran-chan!” Hina called after them.</p><p>As they walked away, Hina watched the smallest, most intimate gesture take place.</p><p>For a moment, time froze. </p><p>Moca’s hand snaked down towards Ran’s, fingers twisting around each other’s, and they leaned into one another, walking out of the store.</p><p>It was so small, but they were intertwined, joined, connected to one another.</p><p>Hina realized just then that she wanted Ran, wanted her badly.</p><p>Yet clearly, she realized this far too late.</p><p>For the first time in her life-her successful, prodigal, friend-filled, class-president life-she wanted something that she couldn’t have.</p><p>For the first time in a long time, she was one step behind, just a little too late, second-best to someone else.</p><p>
  <em> A failure. </em>
</p><p>Skill and ability, in the end, couldn’t get Hina everywhere.</p><p>And the one thing she wanted desperately… </p><p>more than anything in the world…</p><p>was hovering just out of her reach…</p><p>
  <em> Ran Mitake... </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I love you… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> just a little too late… </em>
</p>
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